After weeks of blistering campaign-mailer attacks on his opponent, mayoral candidate Justin Elicker shifted to a warm and fuzzy education message in a home-stretch TV ad.
Elicker’s campaign released the TV ad, his first, on Thursday five days before his Sept. 10 Democratic mayoral primary face-off against incumbent Mayor Toni Harp.
Elicker’s mailers in recent weeks have blasted Harp for alleged corruption and mismanagement. The new ad (watch it above) doesn’t mention Harp’s name.
Instead, it features Elicker recalling the excitement he felt as a teacher on his first day at school — then shows his family’s even greater excitement on his daughter’s first day of school this month (at Christopher Columbus Family Academy).
“I’m running for mayor because I want every family to know they will have the support and tools they need to get their kids through that first school year and every year that follows,” Elicker concludes in the ad. On his website he lists this education platform, which calls for de-emphasizing high-stakes standardized tests, guaranteeing universal early childhood education, ending “contracts with overpriced out-of-town consultants,” diversifying the teaching workforce, and providing more information to parents. On the trail Elicker has suggested partnering with nonprofits to run after-school programs inside school buildings.
Allan APpel Photo
Also Thursday, Elicker picked up an endorsement from the New Haven Public Works Employees union.
“New Haven can do better, and deserves a Mayor who will diligently fight to address the serious concerns facing our great City; with passion, conviction and transparency,” local President David Lawlor (pictured above building a bioswale outside Mitchell Library) is quoted stating in a release. The release quotes the union decrying the condition of the main public works facility (“for years [it] has been stabilized by many support beams, causing real concern of a structure collapse”), “skyrocketing” health costs, and refuse division shortages.
So, we see that HERE -UNITE Locals 34/35 , despite being the main union force in the Central Labor Council and the Board of Alders, does not control all of organized labor. THe non- HERE endorsements are mounting. Thank God!